TODAYS THOUGHT ON RURAL PROBLEMS Tenant Farming Chicago Tribune GOV . LOWDEN , In an address at the Michigan Agricultural college , deplored the increase of tenant farming . In our opinion he has touched here upon one of the most important questions of the day . If there is one policy which should be basic in the American scheme It is for farm ownership for farm operators . The Increase of farm tenancy is bad for the land and bad for the people . It is an economic evil and a wofse social and political evil . A tenant who has little or no hope of owning the land he is working will not conserve its productivity and expend money , thought or labor on improvements which he is not sure he will profit by . Even government agencies which are doing so much in many directions for agricultural progress , have not been sufficiently interested to keep close account of the growth of tenancy . There are no general statistics since 1910 , the last census . We have , however , some state statistics...

ENTER THE PURE-BRED SHORTHORN How Cooperation of Bank Helped Breeders of the Future—By A . W . Kasten THE most far-reacning single , of the past year , to promote the breeding of pure-bred cattle in the North-West was the organization and carrying to successful conclusion of the Peoples State bank calf club of Walla Walla , Washington . Results furnish a striking example of how the cooperation of a banker with a vision and other members of a pure-bred livestock association with a real unselfish interest in boys and girls may be the means of giving the breeders of tomorrow the necessary Impetus and support to make a successful beginning in a pleasant and profitable industry . The men who were primarily responsible for the organization and management were : H . H . Marshall , president of the bank and a member of Walla Walla Valley Pure-Bred Breeders association , whose bank supplied the funds , without Interest , and offered the major portion of cash prizes and W . G . Cordiner , a l...

A PERSONAL RURAL CREDIT BILL Congressman L . T . M Fadden , Its Author , Explains Its Purpose to the House MR . SPEAKER , the rural credit bill I introduced today provides for the establishment of a cooperative system of farm credit based on personal security , as distinguished from landmortgage security . This bill is an adaptation of the best features of the European systems to meet the conditions in this country . It follows the Credit Agricole of France in limiting the activities of the proposed system to the use of bills of exchange , or to banking with bills , as distinguished from the system of banking with deposits , thus broadening the market for productive agricultural paper , reducing the expense of management , and improving our whole banking or credit system . The bill provides for one central bank , forty-eight branches , one for each state , and innumerable local associations or communes . The central bank will have a capital of $ 25 , 000 , 000 , to be furnished by t...

CAN WE EXIST WITHOUT WORKING ? Farm Folks Know the Answer , Even if Others Don t—By E . Davenport PROBABLY the most dangerous of all the mental disorders of society just now is its antagonistic attitude toward labor , old-fashioned , plain and unadulterated work , both physical and mental . In general the world is indisposed to exert itself . It is intent upon having as good a time as possible with as little effort as may be . The world wants to be supported and entertained and it Wants to hire somebody to do Jt . We have always had more or less of this attitude of mind , especially among the ruling classes and the educated , the masses accepting labor as a matter of course . In olden times conquests were wages for plunder and for slaves , and more recently boys and girls were encouraged to study hard and learn their lessons so they would not have to work . The gentle art of getting along by virtue of one s wits or otherwise by the exertions of others has been the great game at whic...

DOWN IN ALABAMA But You Might Substitute Lots of Other States Roads like this go hand in hand with poor schools An open-air school Homemade desks and benches Four grades ! It s a crime ! There must be more schools like this !

HOW THE BANKER CAN HELP H . A . Moehlenpah of the Federal Reserve Board to Texas Bankers YOU bankers have to do with the greatest producing class of our ¦ country , the farmers . They are producing the essentials most in demand by other countries . It has been my privilege to serve as a country banker for twentyfive years , a community similar to that which most of you serve here . These were the farmers , dairymen and the producers of livestock . You have in addition , because of your soil and climate , the great cotton industry . You will become more than ever the counsellors , the leaders , in the large new program just ahead . You are without doubt the largest natural livestock breeding district of our nation . You have had the setbacks of seasons , disease , and market conditions similar to all other sections , but at no time in the uistory of the world have the demands been so great for the staple products which you produce . It is gratifying to know that out of the distress a...

CORN SHOW SUCCESS County Agent Gowan , Banker Mauney and Dr . Winters look em over at the Oherryville show LARGE corn shows have their value , but the community corn show which brings into competition local varieties and local methods of culture is capable of a much greater service . It brings together corns adapted to the locality and when the growers meet there is an exchange of ideas adapted to local conditions . One of the most successful corn shows of this kind was held at Cherryville , North Carolina , in the agricultural room of the First National bank under the supervision of the county agents of Gaston and Lincolnton counties and the division of agronomy of the State college . The bank furnished a room and cash prizes and thoroughly advertised 1 . In addition to prizes for the best looking ears of corn awards were made for single stalks that would contain the largest amount of grain . A prize was offered for the poorest ear . Prizes were offered for the best talk by a farme...

FARMER ^ ND BANK Jfr . D . M . Williams , of the First National bank of Vtica , New Yor &amp;amp; wrote this artiele for Rural Llflfc SejoYorfc . , : uausMunuHIIMmmmnl uiimi , 1 MI 1 CIKI Iimillll . l ill llll I / TVHE experience of the last few y * tf » I has made us realize the importMM ^ of agriculture . We knew before that this was the basic industry ; but lt took tbe near approach to famine , the . appointment of food directors and regulations , governing the use of meat , flour and other foodstuffs to bring the situation elearly to our attention . As a nation , we should have encouraged the tilling of the soil and the raising of flocks and herds , as the foundation of prosperity . Instead , we have allowed conditions to exist which drove the best young men of the farms to the cities , in quest of opportunity , which , under proper development should have been found at home —on the farm . There are many factors causing the decline of agriculture from the standpoint of natio...

BANK ERS ! DO your farmers know what the American Bankers association and the bankers state associations are trying to do to help agriculture ? Do they know that your bank is sincerely interested In the movement for a better agriculture ? . Do they know that the banker isnt merely a counter of money behind a wicket but that he is as human as other people ? If they dont know all this , it s your fault . But It can be remedied . The best plan Is to arrange to distribute The Banker-Farmer among your farmer friends . It will do a lot of good things . It will pave the way for your banker-farmer activities . It will make your farmers think about some of the things which must be done to make agriculture more profitable and country life more likable . It will make them think more of bankers and more of your bank . Begin your distribution with the current issue . Get in line for the big campaign of the Agricultural Commission to better rural schools , to contribute to the solving of the farm...

BETTER SIRES AND BANKERS The Better-Sires-Better-Stock Drive and What It Means—By } . P . Mohler LIVESTOCK raising , though a business including many branches , rests primarily on a few principles of mathematics . The period of gestation is a time from which variations usually are slight . The off-spring , themselves the result of one male and one female unit , are practically equal in number so far as sex is concerned . The productive capacity of offspring is governed to a surprising extent by qualities which tbe sire and dam possess . The offspring of a pair of razorback swine will weigh at maturity about the average for that class of stock . Similarly , pigs of an improved breed of swine will weigh about the average for the breed represented . This is obvious , of course . But if you breed a pure-bred boar of the lard type to a razorback sow , you will obtain a litter of grade pigs which at maturity will weigh less than the average pure-bred hog but more than a razorback . Of cou...

THE BANKERS PART IN MARKETING He Can Render a Large and Varied Service—By George Livingston rT \ HAT the various existing systems J _ , of • distributing farm products are susceptible to improvement , and that the people of the country , both producers and consumers , are increasingly Insistent in their demands for the improvement of these methods is evident to all . It perhaps is not so evident that no one group of men , and no one class , can effect signal improvement in this complex matter without the assistance of other groups , while the evolution ot efficient , wise and equitable systems will require the united efforts of many classes throughout a considerable period of time . Since the Bureau of Markets of the United States Department of Agriculture was created expressly for the purpose of aiding in this work , and devotes its entire attention to it , it is gratifying to be asked by the bankers of the country , through the Agricultural Commission of their association , as to ...

TO IMPROVE THE RURAL SCHOOLS ? Some Working Suggestions That Will Mean a Lot—By Clarence Poe - ^ fj ^ HERE is no clearer nor more | -I inspiring voice raised in the . f South for better rural educa- j tion . than that of Dr . Clarence % Poe , Some time ago he outlined I in the Progressive Farmer his sag- f gestions to improve community I schools . Here they are : a program j that every banker should assist to j make a reality . \ EVERY school should have at least three teachers . Where the district is not large enough to Justify three w it should be enlarged . Where one teacher has to teach children of all ages and sizes , it is absolutely Impossible for any child to get the attention he or she deserves . We all know what happens when a farmer tries to cultivate three times the acreage for which he has adequate horse and man power . Every plant on the farm becomes a weak and sickly dwarf of what it ought to be . The same sort of thing happens when in the cultivation of children s mi...

The Rural School Situation in a Nutshell By the United States Bureau of Education rERE are in round numbers about 210 , 000 one-room rural schools in the United States . It is claimed by some who have made a careful study of this question that probably -two-thirds of these schools , that is , 140 , 000 , can and should be consolidated on a ten-year nation-wide campaign if a sufficient amount of flnanclal aid were provided therefor . This would leave 70 , 000 of these schools beyond the realm of practicable consolidation . It is also claimed by some who have made a careful study of the question that it is possible to eliminate 20 , 000 of the 70 , 000 schools by uniting two or more of these weaker schools in various parts of the country into a stronger one-teacher school than now exists in many places . This would leave us 50 , 000 one-teacher rural schools . These schools must not be neglected . They must not be boycotted . They must not be starved . But they must be made the best s...

]___ £ &amp;amp;___ Swie ^ tfieBaJ » riArfhntin ) waBetfcrA 5 iWtm »^ Jmi ( _ Title Registered in U . S . Patent Office Published by the Agricultural Commission of the American Bankers association , not as a matter of news , but with the single purpose of encouraging , quickening and inspiring to action . T / HE BANKER-FARMER attempts to present monthly concrete happenings and suggestions bearing on the bankers constructive program for a better agriculture and country life .

The Bankers Opportunity THE country bank can do nothing more beneficial to the nation , more helpful to its clients , nor in the end more profitable to itself , than to encourage increased agricultural production and to assist in bringing about happier farm conditions . This is not philanthropy . It is good business . It has an advertising value that cannot be denied , though its prime purpose does not contemplate that . What is more important , it develops a larger volume of business with the bank s clients . Practically every extra dollar that a farmer can realize by increased production will pass through the community bank . There is something besides plain business to be considered . Statistics show that the rural population of every county in Wisconsin decreased between the last two censuses . Furthermore , there is reason to believe that there has been a still greater loss recently , although the population of the state has increased , by the influx of people into the cities ....